Illuminated sign box



March 1, 1938. H 2,109,643

ILLUMINATED SIGN BOX Filed Dec. 31, 1956 l [jpj 47-7-0 @EEK Patented Mar. 1 1938 UNITED STATES ILLUMINATED SIGN BOX Frank L. Kehl, Normandy, Mo., assignor to Federal Brilliant Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application December 31, 1936, Serial No. 118,508

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a new and useful invention in illuminated sign boxes, and has for its principal object to produce an attractive and efiicient device of this character. Another purpose is to produce a device of this character that will have replaceable, translucent glass, or equivalent material, that will produce, when a neon light is cast therethrough, such variety of colors as are to be secured in commercial neon lights. In the event of the mutilation of one or more of the translucent glass sheets by breakage or otherwise, such sheet can be readily removed from the sign box and a new sheet inserted.

Fig. 1 is a face view of my improved illuminated sign box.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view of one of the translucent glass holders taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, perspective view of the same structure illustrated in Fig. 3, showing the rear wall of the translucent glass holding structure, two of the forwardly projecting arms for retaining the translucent glass member in position, and the brace for preventing the bending of the bottom arm under the weight of the translucent glass strip.

In the drawing, I have designated my illuminated sign box by the letter A, the neon lighting system by the letter B, the removable letters at the front of the sign box are designated by the letter C, and the hooks on the back of each letter by the letter D, while the supporting wires or cables for receiving said hooks D are designated by the letter E. Neon lights are available in a number of colors, commercially; As all of the foregoing structure is old, I do not deem it necessary to describe it in greater detail.

In the structure as illustrated, I provide a plu rality of supporting members extending longitudinally of the sign box, which supporting members I have designated generally by the reference character I. Naturally the supporting members I might consist of one or more, depending on the size of the sign desired. These supporting members consist of a relatively long strip 2 provided with a plurality of perforations 3 to receive bolts or screws 4 for securing said strip 2 to a back wall member 5 of the sign box A. The back wall member or plate 5 and forwardly projecting upper and lower portions 6 and 1 are preferably enameled or lacquered white, so as to reflect and diffuse the light supplied by the neon tubes B.

Forwardly projecting from the strip 2 at intervals are the upper and lower arms 8 and 9, which terminate at their outer portions in hooks I0 and l l for receiving strips l2 of glass or other translucent material. As these strips may come in sections due to the longitudinal width of the sign, I provide for abutting thesections against each other as at I3 and, preferably, where such strips can abut each other within the hooks l0 and II to secure greater rigidity for such abutment.

Fastened to each lower arm 9 is a brace l4 secured to the strip 2 by the upper bolt or screw 4 passing through a suitable perforation in the upper part of said brace. The purpose of the brace I4 is to prevent the displacement of the lower arm 9 under the weight of the glass strips I 2. I preferably weld the lower end of the brace i l to the upper portion of the lower arm 9.

The usual colors employed in commercial neon tubes may be employed in the neon tubes B used in my improved sign box. The translucent glass strips l2 are in solid color and assume the color of the neon light immediately behind said strips, and, with the white'enameled background of the back Wall member 5 and the color imparted by the neon tubes B, the letters 0 are silhouetted against a varicolored or single colored background, producing a very pleasing picture, and the colors in the neon tubes B may be varied so far as the colors commercially available may be secured.

A flasher may be attached to the neon tubes, so that when operating the color may be changed from instant to instant, producing a pleasing, variegated color efiect.

I claim:

1. An illuminated sign box comprising a light reflecting and diffusing back Wall, a series of removable characters adapted to be supported in said sign box, a support for said characters, a series of lights, appropriately colored, placed transversely of said sign box and located intermediate said back wall and said characters, a series of transversely spaced apart translucent strips placed longitudinally of said sign box and interposed between said light and said characters, and means for removably supporting said translucent strips.

2. An illuminated sign box comprising a light reflecting and diffusing back wall, a series of removable characters adapted to be supported in said sign box, a support for said characters, a series of lights, appropriately colored, placed transversely of said sign box and located intermediate said back wall and said characters, a series of translucent strips placed transversely of said sign box and interposed between said light and said characters, a plate secured to said back wall, and hooked arms forwardly projecting from said plate for rcmovably supporting said strips.

FRANK L. KEHL. 

